Kmcalpin

We are still making something from the sale of youth players and the money accrued from the departures of Stuart McKinstry, Jake Hastie and probably Reece McAlear will still be very welcome. I agree with your overall point that the rules need to be changd but that is never going to happen as long as money is poured into the bigger boys by fans of all clubs, large and small. TV has a lot to answer for, although the issue is wider than that alone. Not fashionable but more attention needs to be focused on grass roots football rather than large English clubs or Euro giants.

Yes. Currently, 6 other clubs (Ross County, Forfar, Arbroath,Morton, Partick and Dunfermline) apart from ourselves could theoretically collect 12 points although not all will do so. In any event even being seeded for the knock out stages wouldn't guarantee an easy draw i.e. Hearts or Hibs away.

Last I read was that he was supposed to be signing for an MLS outfit. Nobody seems to know for certain, as he seems to have been very secretive, so I guess the best thing to do is to ask the player himself or his agent. Seriously, I just hope he has kept the club informed of his intentions.

I see Danny Johnson as being more of a penalty box player, not suited to playing a lone striker role. It seems he isn't top of the management's list for this or other reasons. Unless we play with 2 out and out strikers then I can't see where he fits into the team. I don't think James Scott is quite ready yet and he may yet go out on loan to a Championship club. So that could leave us with Cole and Long.

I assume from the team line up, that Jamie Semple was there to provide some creativity in the middle. Allan Campbell doesn't fall into the all rounder or creative moulds and Donnelly is a defensive holding player. From an attacking perspective we seem to have missed Turnbull (very predictable) and Gorrin. A good start however, and we picked up 3 points, 3 goals and a clean sheet from a potentially tricky away fixture.

Things are maybe slightly, very slightly, clearer, squad wise tonight. It would now appear that having several "wide" players on paper, we only have 2 out and out wingers in Seedorf and Hylton. I'm still not clear though that we have a traditional number 9, with the exception of Scott. In midfield, Donnelly appears to be more in the McHugh mould than in the Gorrin one. In other words more of a defensive player than an all rounder. Maybe still scope to bring in one more striker and and another winger?

Its hard to tell this morning but maybe we'll be a little clearer by 3pm today. Selection wise, things may not become totally clear until late September. Based on the type of player, and not individual performance, I'd reckon Sloth would be a reasonable bet to start as he seems to be in the Gorrin "all rounder" mould - the only player of that type in the squad. Midfield and up front would appear to be the hardest areas to pick. Picked up from FPC, but I reckon although we seem to be well off for lads who can play "across the front 3", we're still short of an old fashioned out and out No 9 striker. I'm not convinced of Danny Johnson and perhaps James Scott will go out on loan? So many new players its hard to judge, before our first competitive game, how they'll all fit to the management's plans for the upcoming campaign.

Christian Ilic now confirmed by the club. A one year deal.

Sometimes OTF's post are a wee bit cryptic but there's a good reason for that. Sources, whoever or whatever they are have to be protected and respected. His posts are usually right on the money and they are very interesting to read. A very important contributor to this site.

Alan Martin leaves QoS for East Kilbride.

Pie & Bovril. Original source the online Daily Record /Sunday Mail.

Just to be clear, Stephen Robinson has quashed rumours of an Elliot Frear return, if indeed there was ever any substance to it. Probably a case of 2+2=5. He adds that we hope to secure the signature of 2 wide players this week.

We're 2-0 up at the break. Long scores after Gallagher's header was cleared off the line and Donnelly nets the second with a thunderbolt. Apologies wrong thread.

Stephen Robinson is on record as saying that his preferred formation is dependent on the type and quality of player we have. The long ball game is preferred by teams on a limited budget. Thats about the limit of my tactical knowledge. I remember Derek Adams telling us at Perth one evening that its sometimes very difficult and complex for managers to work out what is going on tactically in games. So we're not alone.

I renewed my seat in the POD Stand and was issued with a new card, which I picked up in person. Smooth process.

This and also find another 2/3 wingers.

An enigmatic manager who quickly decided he didn't want to stay. The exact opposite of present imcumbent Sir Stephen Robinson in footballing terms. Gannon's footballing philosophy was spot on but the problem was he didn't have the calibre of player to carry it out. Robbo has said that his style of play is dependent on the quality of player he has available.

I'm surprised that no-one has mentioned Vladimir Romanov yet. He was welcomed in a blaze of publicity as cult hero by many Hearts fans but by the end of his reign a substantial number of them had viciously turned against him. Dundee's record with sugar daddies hasn't gone too well either.

What we now need is some wide players. There doesn't appear to be any breaking through from the Academy. Last season we had Ariyibi, Hastie, Frear and Cadden. Now all we have is Hylton. Presumably we're waiting to try and secure Ariyibi on another loan deal.

Its a no from me. A short sighted option.

I'm not sure that is the case. I assume, without having seen him play admittedly, that he's a replacement in the "all rounder mould" for Gorrin. Someone who can defend but is also comfortable on the ball. As for rebuilding its still early days and no need to panic. We all know where our deficiences lie i.e. wingers and strikers and Robbo has said this publicly. Without having seen him play I'm not sure Long is an out and out striker in the Number 9 mould. Scott, in my view, isn't quite ready yet and Johnson is a penalty box player. From Robbo's comments I suspect we'll play some variation of 4-5-1 this season which is great, but at the moment and for the next few weeks, we don't have the personnel to do it effectively. We certainly lack in the final third and need to acquire an out and out big striker an old fashioned number 9. I think we do look reasonably solid defensively, on paper, however. Anyone we bring in now might not be fully fit. Some good debate on Pie & Bovril about this. So it could be a harder league cup campaign in the group stages than we would wish. The saving grace is that the management team are well aware where we need to recruit and are actively working on it, albeit without much success so far. As we have nowher near replaced those who have departed, numbers wise, there will be money in the war chest.

Ties in with what I've read - travelling to London to have his operation carried out by a top specialist this week.

This. I read this somewhere in the past few days. Top English clubs subject potential signing targets to a whole battery of sophisticated and very expensive medical tests whilst those down the pecking order will cut their cloth accordingly. I suppose if you're on the brink of forking out £10m a series of medical tests costing say £10,000 are small beer.

Does anyone know the second half team from yesterday's game in Belfast? Was there a huge change at half time?

Who owns the Society?